Obamacare ‘Clearly Failing’ The American People

‘CHALLENGES’ IN EXCHANGES: Fewer Choices As Even More Insurers Drop Out This Month

CONNECTICUT: “State leaders announced late Monday afternoon that ConnectiCare will not sell Obamacare policies on the state's insurance exchange next year. . . ConnectictiCare's departure comes as two smaller insurers on the exchange — UnitedHealthcare and HealthyCT — have also departed. Without ConnectiCare, only Anthem would remain selling policies under the exchanges.” (“State Says ConnectiCare Ending Sale Of Obamacare Policies,” Hartford Courant, 9/12/2016)

• “ConnectiCare, which covers about 47,600 people through individual and family plans sold on the Obamacare exchange, got the rate it asked for on Aug. 1 — an increase of 17.4 percent. But three weeks later, company officials said that request had been too low, and it said it needed an average 27.1 percent increase to cover the claims . . .” (“State Says ConnectiCare Ending Sale Of Obamacare Policies,” Hartford Courant, 9/12/2016)

NEW JERSEY: “The options for New Jersey consumers who buy health coverage through the Affordable Care Act will dwindle to two next year, from five in 2016, after state regulators take over Health Republic Insurance of New Jersey. . . UnitedHealthcare and Oscar Health Insurance announced earlier this year they will pull out of New Jersey’s individual health market in 2017, and Aetna withdrew its plans to join the market.” (“New Jersey Left With Just Two Obamacare Health Providers For 2017,” The [Bergen County, NJ] Record, 9/12/2016)

MINNESOTA: “State regulators have come up empty on a last-ditch effort to recruit more health insurers to the MNsure exchange next year, particularly to sell coverage outside the Twin Cities metro area. . . No applicants surfaced as of Friday's deadline. . . MNsure is one of several government-run exchange markets that were launched in late 2013 under the federal Affordable Care Act.” (“Quest To Add MNsure Health Plan Options Comes Up Short,” Star Tribune, 9/12/2016)

• “In Minnesota, Eagan-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota said in June that next year it would drop individual market policies for about 100,000 people. Blue Cross will still sell health maintenance organization (HMO) plans to individuals, but those policies aren't available in 11 rural counties. That could leave some of those counties with options from just two carriers.” (“Quest To Add MNsure Health Plan Options Comes Up Short,” Star Tribune, 9/12/2016)

‘CHALLENGES’ IN CO-OPS: This Month Yet Another Co-Op Is Failing In New Jersey

“Some smaller plans, notably the co-ops set up by the law, have folded. On Monday, New Jersey’s insurance regulator confirmed that the state’s co-op, Health Republic Insurance of New Jersey, would be placed into a rehabilitation process and wouldn’t be allowed to offer coverage for 2017.” (“Obama Pledges Redoubled Efforts to Make Health Law Successful,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/12/2016)

• “The state Department of Banking and Insurance moved Monday to take over Health Republic, a consumer-operated and -oriented plan (COOP), because of its ‘hazardous financial condition.’ It was one of only a handful of the 23 original COOP plans established by the law to survive.” (“New Jersey Left With Just Two Obamacare Health Providers For 2017,” The [Bergen County, NJ] Record, 9/12/2016)

‘CHALLENGES’: ‘Obamacare Marketplaces Remain Vulnerable To Fraud’

“Don't worry if you don't exist, you can still get Obamacare. Two new government audits reveal that the nation's Obamacare marketplaces remain ‘vulnerable to fraud,’ after investigators successfully applied for coverage for multiple people who don't actually exist. In several cases this year, fake people who hadn't filed tax returns for 2014 were still able to get Obamacare tax credits to help pay their monthly premiums for 2016 coverage.” (“Obamacare Marketplaces Remain Vulnerable To Fraud, New Government Audits Find,” CNBC, 9/12/2016)

• “The audits, which looked at the 2015 and 2016 Obamacare coverage years, echo previous findings about the potential for fraud, and the failure to detect it, on the government-run exchanges that sell individual health plans.” (“Obamacare Marketplaces Remain Vulnerable To Fraud, New Government Audits Find,” CNBC, 9/12/2016)

• “For the 2015 coverage year, the federal exchange HealthCare.gov . . . ‘approved each of 10 fictitious applications GAO made for subsidized health plans,’ the GAO said.” (“Obamacare Marketplaces Remain Vulnerable To Fraud, New Government Audits Find,” CNBC, 9/12/2016)

• “The agency's investigators also submitted another eight fictitious applications for coverage from Medicaid . . . For those applications, HealthCare.gov and the state-run exchanges approved three for Medicaid coverage, but did not approve Medicaid coverage for four of the applications. However, those other four applications were subsequently approved for subsidized Obamacare coverage.” (“Obamacare Marketplaces Remain Vulnerable To Fraud, New Government Audits Find,” CNBC, 9/12/2016)

• “For the 2016 coverage year, HealthCare.gov or the California exchange ‘initially approved coverage and subsidies for GAO's 15 fictitious applications.’ . . GAO noted that four of the applications used fictitious identities that had been used to get subsidized coverage in 2014. . . ‘In each case,’ GAO said, the fake applicants ‘successfully obtained subsidized coverage.’” (“Obamacare Marketplaces Remain Vulnerable To Fraud, New Government Audits Find,” CNBC, 9/12/2016)

GALLUP: ‘It Appears That Much Of The American Public Hasn't Embraced The Healthcare Law’

GALLUP: “More Americans Negative Than Positive About ACA” (“More Americans Negative Than Positive About ACA,” Gallup, 9/08/2016)

• “Six years after passage of the ACA, it appears that much of the American public hasn't embraced the healthcare law and still holds serious reservations about it... [M]ore Americans than at any previous point are reporting that the law has hurt their healthcare situation.” (“More Americans Negative Than Positive About ACA,” Gallup, 9/08/2016)

• “More Americans expect the ACA to make their family's healthcare situation worse in the long run (36%) than say it will make it better (24%).” (“More Americans Negative Than Positive About ACA,” Gallup, 9/08/2016)

• “Thirty-seven percent say the law has helped the healthcare situation in the U.S., while 45% say it has hurt it.” (“More Americans Negative Than Positive About ACA,” Gallup, 9/08/2016)

FLASHBACK: Democrats: ‘The More People Know … The Better They Like It’

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “I think as has been seen in the polls around the country now the majority of Americans support healthcare reform... It’s been good and our country is better for having passed this legislation... [S]o the more people know about healthcare the better they like it.” (“Exclusive: Senator Harry Reid Interview on The Brody File,” CBN News, 7/26/2010)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “When people see what is in this bill and when people see what it does, they will come around.” (“Schumer: Poll Numbers Will Turn In Dems Favor,” Politico, 12/21/09)

• SCHUMER: “By November [2010], those who voted for health care will find it an asset, those who voted against it will find it a liability…” (“Schumer Predicts Health Care Popularity,” Roll Call, 3/28/10)

THEN-SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “[W]e have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” (Rep. Pelosi, Remarks The National Association of Counties 2010 Legislative Conference, 3/9/10)

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) thinks the healthcare law will ultimately help Senate Democrats in 2014 ... ‘I think for sure it will be a net positive,’ said Reid, who expects the law to become more of a political benefit as problems are smoothed out by Election Day. ‘I think so by then for sure.’” (“Reid: ObamaCare Will Help Dems Hold The Senate Majority In 2014,” The Hill, 12/18/2013)

EDITORIALS: ‘The House Of Cards That Is Obamacare … Tumbling Down,’ ‘Clearly Failing’

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: “Just around the time that Barack Obama packs his bags and leaves the White House, the house of cards that is ObamaCare could come tumbling down.” (Editorial, “Obamacare's Future: Condition Critical,” Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 8/15/16)

NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER: “The entire Obamacare scheme was set up on faulty premises. You can’t force people to buy health insurance they don’t want, subsidize mediocre insurance plans people can’t afford, and still claim to hold down rising medical expenses.” (Editorial, “Another ACA Failure Bad Idea Keeps Getting Worse,” Union-Leader, 9/6/16)

DETROIT NEWS: “The Affordable Care Act — commonly called Obamacare — isn’t working as it was supposed to. Insurance premiums are set to skyrocket in 2017, following increases the past several years. … President Barack Obama’s signature health care law was built on a dream. But market realities still exist, and taxpayers and patients throughout the country will continue to pay the price for the president and Congress ignoring those realities.” (Editorial, “Obamacare Begs For Congressional Review,” The Detroit News, 8/18/16)

• “…the White House can’t continue to defend and celebrate a health care program that is so clearly failing. Obamacare is begging for serious review from Congress before the damage is irreversible.” (Editorial, “Obamacare Begs For Congressional Review,” The Detroit News, 8/18/16)

PADUCAH SUN Columnist: “Here is a logical question: If the ACA is failing so completely in delivering on its promises, why keep it? Why throw good money after bad?” (Jim Paxton, Op-Ed, “Crumbling ACA A Landscape Of Broken Promises,” Paducah Sun, 9/7/16)